O R EG O N S LE S B IA N /GAY/B l/TRAN S/Q U E E R NEWSMAGAZINE
APRIL 16. 2010 3
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b/ Mart/ Davis
just out
Life Goes On
V O L 27. NO. 9
In times o f transition, learn from those w h o ’ve g o ne before
uch o f my childhood was spent
Aging. Gay and Grey. Senior citizens. El
in a wide-spot-in-the-road town
ders. W hat does any o f this have to do with
in northern California. The town, the younger reader that Just Out, like nearly
Shasta, was an old mining, city, full of crumbled every other publication in the world, is now
buildings, historic designation plaques and
courting? Again, if you’re not old(er) now,
one .very good museum. If you find yourself you will be one day, hopefully. So I ask our
on Hwy 299W, five miles outside of Redding, younger readers to recognize that services and
check out the museum. The original jail is in
programs being studied, evaluated and put
the basement, accompanied by the upstairs
into place today will be there for you when
neighbor, a solid, sturdy, well-used gallows.
it is your time and your turn to face your own
Possibly because of the jail and the gal
aging process. The Gay and Grey seniors o f
lows, Shasta is also known for having a wide
today are breaking paths for those of you who
assortment o f cemeteries. In the 1850s, death, follow. The LGBTQ_ community has seen
as well as life, was rife with segregation. There
40-plus years of activism now, activism that
was a cemetery for the Protestants and one has brought us to the cusp of civil rights and
for the Catholics. The Chinese stayed apart in
marriage equality. Now many of these same
death as they did in life. The Masons were not leaders, accompanied by friends and allies,
content to be buried with the common folk turn down the path o f equality in aging.
and laid claim to a spot on a separate hill.
As I am now, so will you be. Prepare for
aging and follow me.
I spent a lot o f time wandering through
these cemeteries. They were fascinating places
to visit, providing a motherlode of historical
year ago Just Out was in dire immedi
data. I ts been many years since I traipsed
ate need o f an art director/graphic
through the hot, dusty poison oak-covered
designer to rescue us from a perilous
trails, but one memory stands Out clearly predicament. In stepped Laura Atkinson, to
to me. A verse, a poem on a headstone, has
help us out for “a few weeks” while we got
remained with me since those long ago ado back on our artistic feet. Yes, those few weeks
lescent years. I even returned a few years ago turned into months, then into a year and
now Laura is ready to return to her regularly
to seek out the headstone, but alas, time had
taken its toll and I could no longer locate it scheduled life. She will leave behind a grateful
among the crumbling toppled stones.
Just Out staff, along with an opportunity for
Here are the words that have lingered in someone to be the next to provide the artistic
my mind these many years:
direction for Just Out.
Specifics of the job can be found on page
Remember; friend, as you pass by,
4. If you’re interested, send me over, quickly,
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now,
a detailed cover letter and all your pertinent
So must you be,
resumé facts to marty#justout.com.
Prepare fo r death
A n d follow me.
gain, as I find myself closing this
publisher’s letter with news o f life
Can you sense what an upbeat child I was? I
passages, I offer a reminder that Just
probably would have been considered Goth, had
Out welcomes, and publishes at no charge,
that social clime been invented yet. Black cloth
ing in blistering Northern California summers nearly all community transitions. This in
cludes the sadness o f loss o f the death o f a
simply would not have worked anyway.
W hy am I taking you with me on this little loved one, the shared joy o f a birth or arrival
trip down’memory lane? Because if we look at o f a new family member or even the mark
the above ditty, and substitute the word “aging” ing o f the anniversary o f a relationship. As a
for the more final word “death," we can all find community we have years o f weddings and
ourselves in a place of commonality. We are all engagements to catch up on, so we encourage
aging—some of us are simply arriving ahead of you to share your happy moments with your
friends and neighbors.
the others.
M
A
A
W
-1W l
Portland lost two of us, both once familiar
to many, in the last few weeks. There’s little
info found on Damon Woodcock, other than
that he died o f colon cancer, at the age o f 50,
on March 28. Woodcock was a transgender
Portland Police officer who faced struggles
and lawsuits over1 his transition process at the
beginning o f this decade. Woodcock’s story
was well documented in the pages o f Wil
lamette Week. A Google search and review of
his story would be well worth the time spent.
My own relationship with Woodcock became
strained during that period, and we had long
since fallen out o f contact. His story, his life,
his struggles merit memory and reflection.
Again, the difficulties he encountered on his
life path, his transition, did pave the way for
easier travel for those who followed.
I can speak more personally about the
passing of Jim Hernandez, who lost his battle
with cancer on April 5 . 1 first met Jim in the
late 1990s. About the same time that I took
over Just Out, Jim was co-forming the Rose
City Softball Association. Specific dates are
a blur to me, but I remember being asked to
throw out the first ball, and speak at what
might have been the first game o f the league.
In those days, games were played at the fields
in East Moreland. I know I’m making it
sound like 1934 or something, but a lot has
gone on since then. RCSA grew in leaps and
bounds and became what is likely the largest
LGBTQ_organization in the area. It started
with Jim and his partner o f 27 years, Joey
Burgos. This community owes much to Jim
Hernandez and the legacy o f good work that
he leaves behind.
here are five Fridays in April, which
means Just Out is on vacation the week
of April 19. I’ll be around, though, and
on Monday the 19th will be at Gay Skate.
That night I’ve got not one, not two, but three
local nonprofits coming by to visit with you
and answer questions about their organiza
tions. I f you’d like your group to have this
same opportunity, in another month, please
get in touch with me.
We’ll see you back here in print on May 7,
and until then, check in at blogout.justout.com
and on the Just Out Facebook fan page J M
T
APRIL 16. 2010
INSIDE»
» FEATURE
20 AFFIRMATIVE AGING
Awareness and advocacy are growing for elderly
LGBT adults
21 GIMME SHELTER. PLEASE?
Portland’s Mauro Hernandez wants to change
housing for LGBT seniors
» NEWS
5 LETTERS
8 NORTHWEST NEWS IN BRIEF
14 PLANNING AHEAD
LGBTQcommunity members give their input
for the Portland Plan
16 CAUSES AND EFFECTS
Cascade AIDS Project and Basic Rights
Oregon gear up for two o f their biggest annual
fundraisers
44 OUTREACH IN FOCUS
VIEWS and ERA launch elderly LGBTQ]
support group
» ARTS 8 CULTURE
23 OUT 8 ABOUT
32 FOR THE LOVE OF ROCK N’ ROLL
Girl in a Coma pays tribute to icons with
Adventures in Coverland
34 NIGHTLIFE: ELEGANTLY WASTED
Market 8c Castro classes up drinking on
Monday nights
36 ARCADE HIRE
A former staffer shares his tales of time spent as
booth monitor
37 UNTAPPED GENIUS
Collective builds a stage for marginalized artists
» ABOUT OUR COVER ARTIST
Photo by DEL MULHERN / / fodusthelens.com
Del is a queer, poly.
FTM. Ph D. student.
He is also one of the
main organizers of the
National Chapter of the
Gender Free For All.
along with last year's
Portland Gender Free For
All March. In addition to
being a full-time student
and volunteer organizer.
Del documents his life
and surroundings as
well as his gender and
sexuality through the
lens of a camera.
Beartown 15.
q dog .
Latino Pride,
P ortland Pride 8 m ore.
These upcoming special events bring
hundreds, thousands of p eop le to Portland.
Just Out will be there - will you?
e
You will be if you advertise in Just Out.
Call the Just Outadvertising departm ent to
hear about our upcom ing special issues.
503.236.1253
WE WORK IT FOR YOU.
» SPORTS
18 FAIR PLAY: HOW GAY IS GAY
SOFTBALL?
» COLUMNISTS
28 LADY ABOUT TOWN
30 LIVING OUT LOUD
31 SASSY GARDENER
38 REMEMBER TO BREATHE
43 MS. BEHAVIOR
46 BACKPAGES